by Amy Sumida
“I do have issues,” Kael said, “and one of them is letting you go alone into danger when you’re wounded. It’s not happening. Not even if I have to tie you down to the bed.”
“Issues,” Blaise said in a sing-song tone.
“It’s called kink,” Zaire corrected Blaise. “Or perversions, if you want to be snooty.”
Images of being tied to Kael’s bed while he loomed above me, flooded my mind. It took me awhile to focus back on what they were saying. And even longer to think straight enough to add to the conversation.
“No,” I said.
“Try me, Gold.” Kael leaned forward. “Just go ahead and try. I’ll have you bound and gagged in seconds.”
“Am I the only one getting turned on?” Blaise asked.
Zaire shot him a nasty look before saying to Kael, “Tone it down, Brother. There are better ways to handle this.”
“Such as?” Kael asked.
“You have no idea where the Wrights are,” Zaire said to me. “Nor do you know this area. We are expert hunters and we grew up here. We know these mountains better than anyone. With our help, you’ll find those women. I swear it.”
I considered him. Then I looked at the others. They seemed capable, and I believed them. Still, I was trained to not involve civilians. On the other hand, I had just defied orders and may not even have a job anymore. Maybe I should take help when it was offered.
“Alright,” I said softly. “What do you propose?”
“Son of a bitch.” Kael looked to Zaire. “How did you do that?”
“It’s called ‘reason’, Kael.” Zaire smirked. “Try using it sometime instead of automatically resorting to intimidation.”
“Those women could be getting sold right now,” I reminded them.
“Sorry.” Zaire grimaced. “Alright. We’re going to head down to the house the Wright’s abandoned and check it out. We should be able to track them from there. We’ll come back here for you, then continue on the trail.”
“No, I’m going with you,” I said.
“You can barely walk,” Kael pointed out. “Your feet are bruised and cut. If you hike through the woods on them, you’ll tear open the scabs, and your shoes—which you don’t have, by the way— will fill with blood.”
“I need to swing by my rental.” I ignored Kael. “I have some clothes there, and my wallet. I’ll need all that.”
“We can get it for you,” Zaire said. “Please, just let us do the groundwork. That will give you some time to heal before we track down the wol”—Zaire cleared his throat—“the white slavers.”
I stared at him. No, he couldn’t know what the Wrights and their cohorts really were. Could he? The brothers said they knew this area. Did they also know about the people who lived here? I scanned the room suspiciously. Pictures of the brothers, and of other men who I assumed were their fathers, but only one woman featured in the family photos. She was athletic looking and tall. I could see the similar features she’d passed down to her sons. Obviously their mother. But there was nothing in those photos to make me think the brothers had any ties to the supernatural community. Nothing in the whole of the house, for that matter. They may be a little odd, but I was sure they were human. Supes wouldn’t have helped me, for one thing. They always kept to their own kind.
“Alright,” I finally agreed. “You can do the ground work. But I need you to search that house really well. Look for any kind of paperwork they may have left behind. Anything to clue us in on who the other women were sold to or where they may be.”
“We can do that.” Zaire looked relieved.
“And be sure to grab all of my things,” I added.
“Yeah, yeah, Gold.” Kael rolled his eyes. “We’ll get your lady things for you. Don’t worry. You’ll be knee-deep in makeup and perfume by dinner.”
Chapter Nine
Kael and Zaire went to check out the Sander’s Pack house while Blaise fetched my things for me. Blaise came home first. He put everything in Zaire’s room, and I went to change. I was grateful for the clothes they’d loaned me, but walking around in super baggy clothing wasn’t fun. The drawstring on the sweat pants made them wearable, but I had to fold up the hems like crazy. And the T-shirts… I really could have just worn one as a dress and called it a day.
So it was a relief to get back into my own clothes. I looked myself over in the bathroom mirror, smoothing out the cotton dress I’d chosen. It was one I used when trolling for info, very flirty and unassuming. It came to knee-length, which unfortunately showed off the bandage on my left calf, but it wasn’t too bad. Most of my injuries had already scabbed over or were just bruises, so I was down to three bandages. One on my calf and one on each foot.
I had a pair of socks on, and it made walking a little easier, but my feet still ached. Despite that, I was shocked at how fast I was healing. It felt unreal to me. Cuts usually took weeks for me to heal, these were closing in days. I really needed to find out what was in that salve. Hell, hospitals needed to carry the stuff.
I prodded at the bruises still marring my face. They were getting better too, down to that horrid, yellow-brown stage. The one where it looked as if you were decomposing. I liked to call it the zombie-stage of bruising. Ironically, it meant the bruise was on its last legs.
Suddenly I realized that I was alone in the house with Blaise, and the thought made my stomach jump. I ran my hairbrush through my hair and put on a spritz of perfume. Then I tackled the bruise. Foundation is a lifesaver, it covered the ugly blotch completely, and suddenly, I was staring at my old self. I smiled my way through an application of lipstick, then added a little eyeliner. Not bad.
I limped downstairs. I could hear Blaise rooting around in the living room. As I reached the bottom stair, he came into view. I watched him lift his head, sniff the air, and wrinkle his nose. He frowned and turned in my direction. Then his mouth fell open, and he dropped the DVDs he’d been carrying.
“Holy fucking shit!” Blaise exclaimed. Then he stammered, “Sorry, that just came out. Um, you look…” he swallowed hard as I approached him. His eyes traveled over me, down and back up again. “Wow. Your face. It’s..”
“A face again?” I asked.
“It’s a hell of a face.” He smiled. “Oh! Let me help you to a seat. Your feet must be killing you.”
“I’m fine, really,” I protested, but I let him lead me to the couch.
“I thought we could watch a movie while we waited for my brothers to get home.” He hurried over to the pile of DVDs he’d dropped. “Um, we have Pride & Prejudice, Much Ado About Nothing, The Fifth Element—”
“No Rambo?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Uh.” He frowned and looked back at the collection under the TV. “We might have that.”
“I’m teasing,” I said. “Pride & Prejudice.”
“Really?” Blaise lit up. “That’s my favorite.”
“Your favorite movie is Pride & Prejudice?”
“The new one.” He nodded and held it up for me to see. “The old one is too long. Plus… Kiera Knightly.”
“Of course.” I laughed.
“I’ll get us some snacks.” He slid the DVD into the player, then headed into the kitchen.
I pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and tucked my feet beneath me. By the time Blaise returned with veggies, dip, and drinks, I was sublimely comfortable. He grinned, set the food on the coffee table, and dove beneath the blanket with me. It was like we’d watched movies together a hundred times. He just slid in beside me and settled back. My heartbeat sped up a little every time he leaned in to say something to me, but generally, it was comfortable.
“Can I say something about your perfume and not get pummeled for it?” Blaise asked during a pause in movie dialogue.
“You don’t like my perfume?” I gaped at him.
“I think you smell so good on your own,” he whispered, his eyes turning a richer brown. “To mask the scent of your skin seems like a tragedy to me.”
/> “You smell pretty good yourself,” I noted.
And he did. God, he did. Like Dove soap and sex. He was warm, making the scent stronger, and the curves of his bicep were pressed in tight to mine. His hand slipped behind my back, easing the pressure. I didn’t stop him when he pulled me closer to his side. I thought he was about to kiss me. Hoped for it, if truth be told, but he simply tucked my head into his chest and made a satisfied sound.
“There, that’s better.” He sighed. “I think we should watch movies like this from now on.”
“Alright,” I said into his chest, feeling like a teenager again.
Blaise had that affect on me. He made me feel less jaded, innocent even. I loved that feeling. Like I could be a girl again, let go of the soldier for a little while. I could do more than laugh, I could giggle. I could be silly, and so… Very… happy. Fuck me, when was the last time I was happy? I couldn’t tell you.
By the time Kiera cuddled her Mr. Darcy, and he called her Mrs. Darcy, I was firmly ensconced within Blaise’s embrace. I had first-hand knowledge of the way his heartbeat sounded, and the way his thighs felt. I may have let my hands wander a bit beneath the blanket. And he was ready for more. I had brushed against his readiness a few times. But he hadn’t tried anything. Damn the man for being a gentleman. I guess it was for the best, though, since Zaire and Kael walked in shortly after the Darcys got their happily ever after.
Too bad I didn’t believe in happily ever after. I blinked, looking at Blaise again. I didn’t, did I?
“You two look cozy,” Zaire declared as he strode into the living room.
I stiffened, feeling strangely traitorous for being caught cuddling with Blaise. Hadn’t I just snuggled into Kael the other day? What would they think?
It turns out, they thought it was an invitation to join the cuddle fest. Kael went into the kitchen to grab drinks for himself and Zaire, while Zaire slid in against my open side. Kael returned, slid in a new DVD, pushed the coffee table out of his way, then made himself comfortable on the floor before me, using my legs as a backrest. My throat went dry.
I looked from brother to brother, wondering what was happening. Zaire smiled and slipped his arm around me, just beneath Blaise’s. I gaped at him, and then the smiling Blaise, as they both slid their free hands over my thighs.
“Whoa!” I jerked, and leaned back into the couch, trying to get some room. “Um… what are we doing?”
“Watching Much Ado,” Kael said as he eased my legs around his shoulders, carefully positioning my injured feet. “And hopefully getting some light petting in.”
“What the fuck?” I gaped at them. “Are you all seriously coming on to me at the same time?”
“I thought you said you were fine with it?” Blaise’s hand stilled. “You said our mother was a lucky woman to have found love like that.”
“I…uh…” I looked from man to man. Kael had sat up to turn around and stare at me too. “Oh wow.”
Was this really happening? Three men were fine with the idea of being with me? All at once? Would it be all at once? My eyes widened and my face flushed. Or one at a time? One after the other? Oh dear God! What had I landed myself into?
“Easy now.” Zaire took my hand. “No one is expecting anything from you. We like you. We all like you, and we were raised to think that sharing one woman could be a beautiful thing. We’d like a chance to show you how it could be. If you’re not comfortable with it, at any time, just say so and it stops.”
“Just say no?” I asked.
“If you don’t want to.” Blaise looked worried.
“But why not try it first?” Kael asked. “Nothing perverted. We’re not asking you to chuck off your clothes and have an orgy with us. Just be with us like you’d be with any man you’re getting to know.”
“Give us a chance,” Zaire added. “A trial run. If you want to take things further, we can. Or we can keep it to snuggling for as long as you like.”
“And if I do decide I want more?” I couldn’t believe I was asking it. “How will that work?”
“However you want it to.” Kael shrugged.
“There won’t be any hard feelings if I choose to be with only one of you?”
“At a time or at all?” Blaise asked.
“Either.” I watched them closely.
“If you decide you only want one of us, so be it,” Zaire said. “None of us can predict how we’ll feel after we get to know each other better. Maybe one of us will fall in love with you, maybe none. We’ve just met, we can’t say what will happen in the future. This is like any other relationship, just with a couple more people involved.”
“So you all want to date me?”
“Will you go out with me, Tempest?” Blaise smiled brilliantly.
“We can’t really take you out,” Zaire added. “Not with you injured, and those men on the loose, but yeah, I’d like to spend some time with you.”
“Tempest, you know we’d be hot together,” Kael said.
“Well shit,” I huffed. “Why not?”
“Excellent,” Zaire said.
Kael just grunted and settled back in against me. Blaise slid his arm back around me, and I had to decide where to lay my head. I ended up stretched across Zaire and Blaise, my head in Zaire’s lap, Blaise’s hands on my hips, and my hand across Kael’s chest. And I was happy again. So damn happy.
Chapter Ten
It wasn’t until the movie ended that I thought to ask what Zaire and Kael had discovered.
I felt horrible for having forgotten about the women while I enjoyed myself. But the men said there was nothing to be done for the moment. They hadn’t found any evidence on who the other women had been sold to. The good news was, they’d been able to track the Sander’s County Pack to a new location, and they verified that Lucy and Gretchen were there. Derick Wright was holding them in a remote cabin up the mountain. Kael and Zaire would have rescued the women right then but in broad daylight their chances of getting the women away safely diminished.
The bad news was, the Medvedev brothers didn’t think I’d be able to make the hike up the mountainside, which was over some rough terrain. We argued about it, until Kael finally picked me up, carried me outside, behind the house, where he trotted down a ravine.
He put me on my feet at the bottom, pointed to the top, and said, “This is similar to what we hiked today. If you can make it up there quietly, we’ll take you with us.”
I’m not going to tell you about my pathetic attempts to climb while keeping the thrashing and groaning to a minimum. Let’s just say, Kael made his point. Bless his heart for not laughing at me. He simply threw me over his shoulder and carried me back up the hill. Is it wrong that his physical prowess turned me on? I don’t care if it is, it did. That man climbed a nearly vertical slope with me over his shoulder, like it was a stroll down the street. He wasn’t even breathing hard when we reached the top.
So maybe they could get the women back without my help. I conceded that, and there was much rejoicing in the form of the brothers throwing relieved hands in the air. Then I insisted on at least helping to plan the raid. They groaned but gave in, and we spent the next few hours deciding on the best ways to get past the guards, get into the cabin, and get away with the women… all without attracting attention. That was a lot of getting to be done secretly. Still, they seemed confident they could pull it off.
“I know this is a lot to ask,” I said at the end of the planning session, “but if you happen to see any paperwork on the other women…”
“We got you, Gold.” Kael nodded. “We want those women safe too. If we see anything that will help us find them, we’ll grab it.”
“Good,” I sighed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t worry, Tempest,” Blaise said. “We’ll be back before you know it.”
The men stood and started heading towards the stairs.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To change,” Zaire answered. “We planned. Now it’s dark, an
d we’re going to implement the plan.”
“Now?” I blinked.
“You want us to wait until tomorrow?” Kael asked.
“No, I just…” I nodded. “Never mind. Today’s good. So I guess I’ll just wait here then.”
“Not used to staying behind, eh?” Zaire smirked.
“I’m more of the action-oriented type.” I grimaced.
“Yeah, we got that.” Zaire chuckled his way up the stairs.
Fifteen minutes later, the men came down dressed in dark clothing and sturdy boots. They all kissed me goodbye, on my cheek, and then left on foot. It was strange but had somehow felt comfortable. I suppose that was the strange part; that having three men affectionately say goodbye to me seemed normal. Three men, whom I was dating. I was dating three men! And why the hell was I focused on that instead of the women who were still imprisoned?
“You’re losing your damn mind,” I growled to myself. “Get your shit together, Goldilocks.”
I flopped onto the sofa and started to flip through the TV channels when something occurred to me. I had worked a mission in Russia awhile back, and I’d met a man named Medvedev. He’d proudly declared to me that his name meant “bear”, a fierce, Russian surname.
“Goldilocks and the three bears,” I whispered. Then I laughed, long and hard. “This fairy tale is about to become rated R.” I flushed, thinking about Kael carrying me up that hill. His muscles clenching around me, his hand hot on my thigh. I swallowed hard. “Or X.”
Chapter Eleven
I fell asleep on the couch, a Twilight marathon playing in the background. Damn those movies were misleading. If only people knew what vampires and werewolves were really like. The only movies they’d be making about them would be horrors. Of course, I only saw the worst of the supernatural community. There could be some nice… yeah whatever. I can’t even finish that sentence with a straight face.
I heard a sound around 4:00 AM. It brought me awake instantly. I sat up and saw a sparkling Rob Pattinson before me. Ridiculous. I jumped to my feet as the front door opened, then winced when pain shot up my calves. But it was only the brothers returning, so I relaxed. Then I saw the women.
